Raw and Elegant Casa Y is an Energy-Efficient Home Near Turin

Located near Turin, Italy, Casa Y is an elegant family home built from raw materials like concrete, steel and glass. Tucked into the hillside, the home enjoys ample views of the northwestern Italian countryside. F:L Architetti designed the home for the family to be rational, luxurious, simple, and modern, as well as energy efficient. The use of materials, orientation, shading, and daylight all contribute to the home's energy reduction strategies.

The two story geometric volume is built into the hillside to take advantage of both the view and the constant temperature of the earth to buffer climatic changes. Upstairs, Casa Y features three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, along with lots of storage, and an open floor plan kitchen, dining and living area. Stairs lead down to the basement and to the garage, study, library, sauna and children’s playroom. The living area cantilevers over a protected courtyard below and an exterior staircase provides another connection to the basement level.

The home is largely built from cast-in-place concrete with the addition of some timber, glass and steel. Skylights and carefully placed windows provide plenty of natural daylight throughout the home, while a steel louvered wall protects the bedrooms on the south east side from overheating. Overhangs and covered walkways provide a further barrier to the sun’s intense heat. Finally, outdoor decking and walkways were created from recycled formwork boards.